Subject: Sola Scriptura supported by bible? |
Bible Note: "Then you are saying that the Bible itself is not sufficient?" No, I am saying that the ability of an unregenerate, fallen human being is insufficient to understand and embrace the truth. The problem is not with the Bible, but with the noetic effects of the Fall. "It needs some contribution from it's reader?" Well, it needs to be READ, yes, which requires a human being. It also requires the enlightenment of the mind that comes from the Holy Spirit's operation in the lives of God's people. However, if I am an unbeliever and reject the truth of the Bible, does it make it any less of a true revelation in itself? "Is this gifting fond to be in certain members of the church and not others?" Well, I wouldn't say it is non-existant in anyone, but Scripture is clear that there are those among God's children who have been bestowed a gift of teaching and/or a gift of knowledge and/or a gift of discernment regarding the Bible. That does not make such people infallible, however, merely better equipped to handle the word of truth as a teaching and corrective tool within the church. "Are you one of the gifted ones? Am I? How does one tell who are the gifted ones and who are not?" Well, we have to examine the Scriptures together to come to the right conclusions. Many of the issues have been adequately settled by the church, using the Scriptures alone as their guide. We do not need to re-hash the Trinity argument in every new generation of the church, because the church has examined God's infallible word and discerned that God is triune. The church used her gifts to interpret Scripture correctly, without looking to opinion or conjecture or the daily newspaper as secondary sources of revelation. However, the issue that I am raising is not the correct interpretation of Scripture, but the development of extra-biblical teaching which has no historical links whatsoever to the traditions of the apostles. It is the Matthew 15:7-9 syndrome, which Jesus rebuked harshly throughout his earthly ministry. --Joe! |